William beck



.(No Model.)

W. BECK. BOX FASTENER.

No. 461,091. Patented Oct. 18,1891.-

'l vttmeoo e 0 5141224060 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

\VILLIAM BECK, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

BOX-FASTEN ER.

SIEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,091, dated October13, 1891. Application filed December 11, 1890. Serial lid-374,367. (N0model) To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM BECK,0f the city of Montreal, in the districtof Montreal and Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Box-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to fasteners chiefly forcigar-boxes and moreparticularly to those composed of a hook or nail-head and a perforatedplate fitting over a recess in the cover, and the action of whichdepends upon the flexibility of the front of the box. I-Ieretofore wherea flat perforated plate has been used difficulty has been experienced indisengaging the nail-head when this latter happens not to be situatedquite centrally of the aperture, it will still remain in contact withthe side portions of the plate. 'io obviate any chance of the nail-headfailing to disengage I form a flange around a portion of the edge of theaperture, leaving only an opening sufficient to allow of the passage ofthe nail-head into and out of engagement. with the locking-lip.

Theiuvention preferably embodies to a certain extentthe principle of myspring-tongue fastener shown in Patent- No. 9,811, issued April 7,1S9l,which principle is embodied in a spring-tongue that serves to pressthe stud on the front of the box outward, in that I curve the plate fromits outer edge up to the edge of the guiding-flange and from the bottomof the recess which the plate covers to coincide with the curve of theplate. so that there isan element tending to press the hook or nail-headinto locking position, which is required, as the front of the box, fromfrequent action, loses its flexibility. For full comprehension, however,of the invention reference must be had to the annexed drawings, in whichlike symbols indicate corresponding parts, and wherein- Figures 1 and 2are vertical sections of the locking portions of a cigar-box, the formershowing them unlocked and the latter locked; Fig. 3, a horizontalsection taken above the plate to show it and the nail-head in plan viewwhile locked; Fig. 4, a bottom view of the plate, showing locking-nail.in position; and Fig. 5 a perspective view of the locking plate removed,all the above figures being enlarged for the sake of clearness.

A is the cover, and B the front side of the box; 0, the locking-nail inthe top edge of the latter, and D the recess in the under side of thecover.

E is the perforated metal plate having prongs c e to secure it in placeover the recess D, as usual. This plate is ;listiuguished from thosehitherto used in that it has an upwardly-projecting flange F around aportion of the edge of the aperture, leaving only an opening Gsufficient to allow of the passage of the nail-head G into and out ofengagement with the locking-lip 1. As shown, the aperture is onlyatrifle larger in diame ter than the nail'head (l, and the plate ispreferably curved or bell-mouthed from its outer edge into suchaperture, so as in part to act similarly to my spring-tongue fastenerbefore alluded to.

\Vhat I claim is as follows:

A box-fastener composed of a nail-head or stud on the front of the boxand a bellmouth apertu red plate fitted over a recess in the cover ofsame and having a portion of its inner contracted edge cut away to allowthe nail-head to engage same, the bottom of said recess being curved tocoincide with the bell-month form of the plate and of a depth which willkeep it always in contact with said nail-head, as shown and described.

WM. BECK.

Witnesses:

HENRY A. J ACKON, JOHN MCQUEEN.

